 The NXT title contract signing ends in anarchy. By Graham "GSM" Matthews
NXT Champion Finn Balor Addressed Kevin Owens It was logical to kick off the episode with the new NXT Champion given this was his first appearance on the program since winning the title in Japan earlier this month. He saved his best mic work for the contract signing, but this promo was still short, sweet and to the point, also serving as effective hype for the contract signing later in the night. Balor is beloved at Full Sail University, so the reaction he received when he came out was an electric way of starting the show. Eva Marie def. Cassie I've been following Eva's training closely (not in a weird way, though) these past few months and I, like everyone else, was anxious to see how she'd perform in her first match back. While she didn't blow me... away (sorry, I couldn't resist), she has improved immensely from the last time we saw her. Her pre-match promo wasn't that bad, either. Then again, that's not saying much considering how god awful she was before, but it's still a step in the right direction. I'm pulling for her and applaud her for putting in the effort to honing her craft.
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 By Graham "GSM" Matthews
R-Truth def. Bo Dallas I was surprised to see this match go as long as it did since their match last week wasn't given more than just a few minutes, but that was before I realized only two matches were taped for this show. I'll give them credit where credit is due: much like in Truth's match with King Barrett on the Battleground Kickoff Show, they put forth a good effort, but it was hard to invest in the action because of these guys mean nothing right now, especially Dallas. I really hope with Erick Rowan out that WWE takes this opportunity to put him in The Wyatt Family. It'd at least make effective use of his wasted talent. The New Day def. The Lucha Dragons For me, the Dragons continue to be the most fun tandem to watch in the tag team division. My only complaint is that they should learn to incorporate a few new maneuvers here and there, but other than that, their matches are always quality. They worked very well with The New Day here and The New Day being as over as they did definitely worked to their advantage. The New Day picking up the win didn't surprise me, but if Los Matadores can pick up a win over the champs, I don't see why the Dragons shouldn't be in title contention, too.  The Undertaker and Brock Lesnar go to war. By Graham "GSM" Matthews
The Undertaker Addressed Brock Lesnar It was wise of WWE to kick off the show with their most talked about name coming out of Battleground, giving it a must-see feel considering Undertaker hasn't spoken since before WrestleMania last year. I know that sounds like it would be common sense, but you never know with this company. It looks like this feud will be focused on the streak, which would be all fine and dandy if this was the road to WrestleMania 31. Why bother returning to face Bray Wyatt if he was still set on avenging the end of the streak? I was hoping he'd acknowledge Lesnar taking out Kane last week on Raw, but perhaps that comes later. Charlotte def. Brie Bella Last week's main roster introduction of Charlotte, Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch was tremendous, but now the true test begins. WWE has to start booking the women in a way that will start making fans care about them and their matches again, and this (as well as Battleground) was a descent start. A majority of the match took place during the commercial break, but what we saw was good. At least Charlotte didn't lose in her first match back on Raw like at the Slammy Awards last year.  By Graham "GSM" Matthews
#AskGSM is a weekly Q&A video where I, Graham "GSM" Matthews, answer fan questions from Facebook, Twitter and YouTube in regards to the world of wrestling. Nothing is off limits, and this week’s edition touches upon a variety of topics including:
 Bray Wyatt and Luke Harper reunite at last. By Graham "GSM" Matthews
King Barrett def. R-Truth for the King of the Ring Crown (Kickoff Match) Needless to say, this was their best bout to date, but I'm well aware that isn't saying much considering how forgettable their past encounters have been. While it was better than expected, I couldn't care less who won because that damn crown (much like the Intercontinental Championship) is cursed. I really wish they would simply do away with the gimmick, but that doesn't appear to be in the plans anytime soon. Although Barrett (seemingly) ended this feud as the victor, I still have very little faith that WWE knows what to do with him. Randy Orton def. Sheamus As much as I've been enjoying the work of Orton and Sheamus this year, they haven't had compelling chemistry in the ring since 2010, so I wasn't psyched for the recent rekindling of their rivalry. That said, this was easily their most entertaining match in some time. While both competitors put forth a strong effort, it was also due in part to the St. Louis crowd being hot for their hometown boy, Orton. Sheamus needed the win more than Orton did, but I'm not surprised to see him take the loss given how Mr. Money in the Bank tends to be booked each year (always losing so their cash-in comes as more of a "surprise" to the casual viewer). |
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